The Latest: California lawmakers OK bill opposed by NCAA

Lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to allow athletes at California colleges to hire agents and sign endorsement deals.

It sets up a confrontation with the NCAA that could jeopardize the athletic futures of powerhouse programs like USC, UCLA and Stanford.

The bill would allow athletes at California schools to hire agents and be paid for the use of their name, image or likeness. It would stop universities and the NCAA from banning athletes that take the money.

The Senate passed the bill 39-0 on Wednesday, a few days after it got an endorsement from NBA superstar LeBron James.

It now goes to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has not said whether he’ll sign it.

The NCAA Board of Governors sent a letter Wednesday to Newsom saying the bill would eventually stop California colleges from participating in NCAA competitions.

___

7:20 a.m.

The NCAA’s Board of Governors is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom not to sign a California bill that would allow college athletes to receive money for their names, likenesses or images.

The bill, known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, passed the state Assembly 66-0 on Monday. The state Senate approved the measure 31-5 earlier this year but a revote is expected later this week because of changes made to the original bill.

In a six-paragraph letter to Newsom, the board said the bill would give California schools an unfair recruiting advantage. As a result, the letter says, the NCAA would declare those schools ineligible for its events.

The NCAA said the legislation would impact more than 24,000 college athletes in the nation’s most populous state.

Donald Remy, the NCAA’s chief operating officer and chief legal officer, told The Associated Press he believes the proposal also would violate the federal Commerce Clause.